Seventeen-year-old Austin Reed Sigg was recently arrested, and has also confessed, to the abduction and murder of Jessica Ridgeway, as well as the assault and attempted abduction of a 22-year-old jogger. Police also say they have “overwhelming DNA evidence” against Sigg, who will be tried as an adult, but will not be eligible for the death penalty if convicted due to his status as a juvenile.
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The FBI had previously created a behavioral profile of who they thought could be the most likely suspect or suspects in this case, and Sigg fits several of the criteria listed in that profile: a male who lived near the crime scenes (his house was one mile away from Jessica’s), and with a few exceptions, was said to be a fairly normal teenager, or “the boy next door”. Former classmates have said it was no secret that Siggs disliked school, so they weren’t surprised when he left high school after his junior year and later earned his GED. He also tended to wear black clothing, and was known to be friendly but shy. In relation to the FBI profile, it’s also interesting to note that the FBI’s profile stated the ideal suspect was between the ages of 18 and 30 and may have an unusual interest in the investigation of the case. Austin Sugg was 17 years old and had such an interest in mortuary science and forensics that he had been taking classes in both subjects as a local community college.
Austin Siggs’ mother made the call to police, and then Siggs turned himself in after that, with a confession following soon after. What Siggs told his mother, and then what Siggs’ mother told police is still unknown at this time.
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